AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

AJSA Ambassador Program

The American Junior Southdown Association Ambassador program was started in 2007 to provide a way for juniors to become actively involved in promoting the Southdown breed on a local, state, regional and national level. The duties of an Ambassador include representing the Southdown breed at local and state shows as well as the National Junior Show, the All American Junior Show and NAILE. The Ambassadors actively participate in the Southdown breed in any of the following ways: providing visual displays at shows, actively participate in state, regional and national youth events, writing articles for livestock publications, submitting photos and networking with other Southdown junior members.
If you enjoy Southdown sheep and helping younger members succeed with their own projects apply today to become an ambassador. Applications due by April 15th. Download your application here.

2017-2018 AJSA Ambassadors

Five outstanding young Southdown breeders have been selected to serve as the 2017-2018 National Junior Southdown Association Ambassadors. The announcement was made at the National Southdown Sale in Richmond, Indiana on April 29th. These young breeders will serve to promote and lead the junior Southdown activities for the next year.

Caroline Patterson is from Livingston, Tennessee. She is homeschooled and will be a senior in the fall. Caroline is an active 4-H member in Clay county where she is highly involved in the sheep and swine program. She is a 4-H Honor Club and 4-H All Star member. In November of 2011 Caroline began her own small Southdown flock. Since 2012, Caroline has been showing registered Southdown sheep locally and state-wide. Caroline is excited to serve her second year as a National Southdown Ambassador and to help promote the Southdown breed.

Carrie Rutledge is from York County, Pennsylvania. She is a homeschooled graduate. Carrie plans on having a career as a Livestock Judge because she likes working with kids and livestock in the show ring and a Livestock Buyer/Seller because she like researching and talking about breed type, bloodlines and genetics of animals. She is an active 4H member in the Lamb, Dairy Beef, Swine, County Council, and Community clubs and has been showing and breeding registered Southdowns for the past four years, but grew up raising sheep since she was six years old. Carrie is on her county 4H Livestock Judging Team and has competed at state level. She can’t wait to help kids in learning about the Southdown breed and working with her fellow Ambassadors. She has been a member of the AJSA for the past four years. She is very excited to be a National Southdown Ambassador and help promote the Southdown breed in the sheep industry.

Hannah Taylor will be a junior at Kansas State University where she is currently studying Agricultural Communications and Journalism with a minor in Spanish. She originally hails from Arlington, Wisconsin where she grew up helping her dad on the University of Wisconsin-Madison Sheep Research Farm. She began showing sheep when she was old enough to walk and in third grade she chose to start her own flock and has been raising and showing Southdowns ever since. She has been very involved with the Wisconsin Junior Southdown Association and also enjoys helping young members in her community start their own sheep projects. Hannah is very active in 4-H and FFA and loves promoting the sheep industry as well as advocating for agriculture.

Lauren Dixon is attending the University of Kentucky where she is currently studying Biotechnology. Her goal is to become a large animal veterinarian. She began showing livestock as a junior in high school. Lauren primarily shows market style Southdowns but, is beginning to dabble in breeding sheep. She also shows crossbred market lambs and goats. In high school, she was very involved in both 4-H and FFA. In 2016 she was on the National Champion 4-H Skillathon team. She is passionate about the sheep industry and can’t wait to see the popularity of the Southdown breed grow!

Marley Stonesifer is from Lewisberry, Pennsylvania and is currently attending Northern High School where she will be a senior in the fall. She is actively involved in her schools FFA. Marley is president of the York County 4-H Lamb Club. Four years ago she began raising her own flock of registered Southdowns. Marley is excited to serve her first year as a National Southdown Ambassador and to promote the Southdown breed.